A Space Big Enough

We have been sleeping on a futon for the past eight months, and while it's been cozy and warm, it's also been a bit crowded. Duncan, who ignores the fancy bed roll we bought him when he was a pup, has never been one of those dogs who curls up when he sleeps. Instead he spreads out, sometimes horizontally right across the center, cutting the bed in half and causing me to curl up, tightly with three cats perched on various locations around my body, sometimes my shoulder, sometimes my hip, sometimes in the middle of my chest or draped across a pillow and the top of my head. Being the nice guy I am I rarely say anything and have been known to relocate to the couch. Every now and then, though, if it's been a tough day, I might explode in the middle of the night, sending the cats scattering to the corners of the room while Duncan slinks beneath the low futon, dragging his belly and bonking his poor head on the underside. After they're gone I spread out and fall back asleep, only vaguely aware that they all come creeping back to assume their previous posts.

I have been waiting a long time to finally get a bed, and tomorrow is the day my hopes come to fruition. Some time between one and three the delivery men from the local furniture outlet will arrive with my brand new queen sized bed, big enough, I'm convinced, that we'll all get our own spot and can spread out and luxuriate in our dreams in whatever way we see fit. I'm giddy just thinking about it and the knotted muscles in my back are already starting to relax. I envision Monday morning being the most beautiful of days, with a spectacular sunrise coming up in the crisp air. I imagine a Disney-esque world with birds alighting on my knot-free shoulders and chipmunks scampering up my body to sing in perfect harmony in my ears. Rainbows will fill the skies and peace will finally come to the Middle East.

The reality, I expect, will be quite different. I will still be covered in cats and Duncan, when not sprawled across my tingling and painfully numb legs, will snore louder than before, kicking as he chases a squirrel across his dreams. But I can't complain because they love me and they watch over me while I slumber and sometimes meet me in their own dreams, where we cuddle and play all night.

There is no such thing as too much love.